EAST LANSING — When Michigan State kicks off Saturday afternoon against Indiana, it will mark the 500th game ever played at Spartan Stadium.

In 1948, Macklin Field officially became known as Macklin Stadium. John Macklin was coach from 1911 to 1915 and helped put Michigan State football on the map with a 29-5 record over five seasons. In the late 1950's, Michigan State added upper decks to the east and west sides of the stadium.Courtesy of Michigan State Athletic Communications

As a fitting tribute, the program will welcome back members of the team that beat the Hoosiers here 26 years ago, winning the Big Ten and clinching the program's most recent Rose Bowl appearance.

In the early 1920s, plans were conceived to replace Old College Field with a 14,000 seat steel-and-concrete facility. The resulting stadium - what is now the lower half of the stadium - opened in 1923. In 1935, the stadium upgraded to a capacity of 26,000 and officially became known as Macklin Field.

In 1948, with Big Ten membership on the horizon, Michigan State increased capacity to 51,000 and Macklin Field became Macklin Stadium. This was a golden era in East Lansing. Michigan State's longest home winning streak (19 games) took place between October 14, 1950 through November 21, 1953. The next longest streak (15 games) happened under Mark Dantonio, when the Spartans went undefeated at home in back-to-back seasons.

MSU won two national championships with Biggie Munn in 1951 and 1952. In 1953, Michigan State's first year of Big Ten conference play, the Spartans shared the conference title with Illinois and won their first-ever Paul Bunyan Trophy after beating Michigan 14-6 in Macklin Stadium.

In 1957, upper decks were added to the east and west sides, bringing the capacity to 76,000. It officially became Spartan Stadium that year.

Michigan State is 339-147-13 (.692) in the stadium.

For many Spartan fans, their favorite trip down memory lane is a trip down Shaw Lane.

“It sort of links this current football program with the past,” Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio said Tuesday of the 500th game in Spartan Stadium. “It’s very unique in the aspect of when you look at long-term tradition.”